1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a feeder apparatus, which utilizes an elastic member to removably secure in position various components of the feeder apparatus and retain the feeder apparatus in an assembled configuration.
2. Description of related Art
A feeder such as a bird feeder, which by its nature is constructed of many types of material, requires disassembly numerous times throughout its life cycle for refilling the feed chamber with feed and for cleaning the feeder. For example, filling the feed chamber with feed typically requires that the top or bottom components of the feeder to be removed from the feed chamber to allow access to the feed chamber during the filling process.
Friction fit is a common method of attaching or securing components of a bird feeder to the feed chamber. The drawback of using friction fit is that a close tolerance is required at the time of production and must be maintained in order to insure a proper friction fit. Furthermore, friction fits become less reliable when attaching two different types of materials such as wood and plastic.
Another approach to securing components of a bird feeder is using a threaded attachment mechanism such a screw or the like to attach the components. There are numerous disadvantages to using such an attachment mechanism; e.g., it is time consuming to unthread such an attachment; the threaded attachment can be lost with use, etc.
The present invention solves many of the above noted problems associated with the prior art devices.
The applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 6,349,673 discloses a bird feeder having an elastic member connected to a pair of rods so that the rods resiliently engage with a feed tray and held the feed tray onto the feed chamber. The present invention offers numerous advantages and patentable features over this patent.